How Often Should You Have an Eye Exam?

How often you need an eye exam depends on your age, your health and your family history. The schedule below follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Ophthalmology for a comprehensive medical eye exam.

Adults with no eye symptoms or risk factors

Age	Comprehensive eye exam
Under 40	Every 5 to 10 years
40 to 54	Every 2 to 4 years
55 to 64	Every 1 to 3 years
65 and older	Every 1 to 2 years

Age 40 is an important milestone. A baseline exam at 40 gives us measurements of your optic nerve and retina to compare against later, which is often how early glaucoma and other changes are caught.

When you need exams more often

• Diabetes: with type 2 diabetes, an exam at diagnosis and at least yearly after that. With type 1 diabetes, starting 5 years after diagnosis and yearly after that. See diabetic eye disease.
• Family history of glaucoma, high eye pressure, high nearsightedness, or Black, Latino or Hispanic ancestry, all of which raise glaucoma risk.
• Medications such as hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) or long term steroids. See Plaquenil eye screening.
• A diagnosed eye condition, where your doctor will set a schedule for you, often every 3 to 12 months.
• Children who are nearsighted and getting stronger glasses each year.

Common questions

Is a vision screening the same as an eye exam?

No. A vision screening at school, work or the DMV only checks how well you see. It does not examine the optic nerve or retina, so it can miss glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other diseases.

Do I need to be dilated?

Dilation gives the best view of the retina and optic nerve. Most comprehensive and medical exams include it. Plan on blurry close vision and light sensitivity for a few hours, and bring sunglasses.

How often should children have eye exams?

Children should have vision screening at pediatric visits and a full eye exam if a screening is failed, if they have symptoms, or if they are nearsighted and their prescription keeps changing.